White Christmas
by XtremeGal87
Summary: Sequel to Tis the Season. Christmas has rolled around again, and this year Orihime is spending the entire holiday weekend with Ichigo and his family. And, while she's there, she just might learn that family really is more than blood. IchiHime. Oneshot.


_**A/N:**_ Hello everyone! Now, I must admit, last year, when I wrote _'Tis the Season_, I was not intending to eventually write a sequel. But, a couple of weeks ago, the inspiration just struck me, and so here I am! And, while I can't believe it's already been a year since I started writing IchiHime fics, I'm quite happy to be able to do another fluffy holiday piece! So, in case you missed it, this _**is**_ a sequel to my previous IchiHime Christmas fic, however, I'm pretty sure it stands alone just fine. Now, that said, I'll quit rambling so that you can get to reading! Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach in any way.

**White Christmas**

** Ichigo dropped** his cell phone into his jeans pocket as he descended the stairs for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning. He'd just received a confirmation text from Orihime (who still hated texting, but sometimes admitted it was useful), letting him know that she was on schedule to be at the house by ten. She'd added a happy 'good morning!' and a lipstick-stain graphic as bookends to the actual message.

He still couldn't believe that they had been dating for over a year already.

Sometimes it seemed like barely a week had passed since the night he'd kissed her beneath the mistletoe. But their one-year anniversary was already the better part of a month behind them, though they did have another anniversary of sorts quickly approaching. This would be the second year that Orihime spent Christmas with his family (though it had taken significantly less persuading than it had the year before).

The thought, as ridiculous as it was, brought a small smile to his lips. He'd spent every major holiday with her over the course of the year, and now the idea of spending one (especially _**this**_ one) apart from her was abhorrent. Fortunately, Orihime had agreed with him.

His early-morning good mood shattered, however, when Ichigo stepped onto the ground floor and looked around. For a moment, nothing seemed out of the ordinary – except, perhaps, for the lack of an argument coming from the kitchen – but then Ichigo noticed the change in the scene before him. It seemed that Isshin had done a little more decorating while his children had been asleep.

Mistletoe was hanging _**everywhere**_. Over each entryway in the house – at least that Ichigo could see so far – and, where the arch was big enough, there were _**three**_ pieces. One at each corner, and one in the center. Isshin had even secured mistletoe on the ceiling in strategic places, such as over the loveseat in the living room.

_What…the…hell?_ Ichigo gaped silently, feeling his temper boiling near the surface. He was almost afraid of what his father could possibly have been planning by putting up so much of the small plant. _There's no way we even had this much of it last year!_

Slowly, hesitantly, his eyes rolled up, to the ceiling directly above the stairs – where he still stood – and, as he'd feared, he spotted another sprig of mistletoe. He dragged in a breath, trying not to break the peaceful atmosphere of the home so early in the morning, but it was to no avail.

"_**Old man!**_" Ichigo bellowed, fists automatically clenching at his sides as he stomped toward the kitchen.

Karin's voice reached his ears as he neared. "I told you you should've taken down all that mistletoe."

"But there's nothing wrong with a little holiday decoration!" Isshin insisted even as he spun around to smile exaggeratedly at his son. "Good morni-!"

Ichigo interrupted his father's greeting with his fist, knocking the elder man into the counter behind him. "What the _**hell**_ is the matter with you? Where did you even _**get**_ all that crap?"

Hand over his not-broken nose, Isshin replied, "You mean you don't like it? I thought I'd make it a nice surprise! I put it up for you and Orihime!"

"Obviously!" Ichigo growled, trying not to punch his father a second time in nearly as many minutes.

"You really did go a little over-board," Karin declared calmly from her seat at the table as Yuzu began plating their breakfast.

"I did not!" Isshin insisted, his face fully recovered and his fists clenched dramatically as he stood upright again. His eyes glazed over slightly and he added, "I bought a brand-new disposable camera, too, so that I can get all sorts of sweet memories! It's important for my future grandchildren to see how much their mommy and daddy love each other!"

Karin sighed, eyes closed, and shook her head silently.

Beside her, Yuzu paused, frying pan and spatula still in her hands, watching her father with a slightly horrified expression.

Ichigo felt his eye twitch. His fists were clenched so tightly that his blunt nails were digging into his palms.

As his father began another rambling excuse as to why he'd put up the excessive amounts of mistletoe, Ichigo could take no more, and his foot slammed into his father's chest. "Would you _**shut up**_! We're too young for you to be babbling about _**grandchildren**_, dammit! You had better take down all that crap before she gets here!"

Isshin gave his son a horrified look, and then spun and collapsed against the counter, wailing, "I just don't understand! He has such a beautiful girlfriend and he doesn't even want to talk about his future! Where did I go wrong? How could any son of mine not want to spend the holidays with such an exquisite woman in his arms?"

Yuzu stepped between them before Ichigo could actually injure their over-dramatic father, gesturing with the spatula to the table and saying, "Your breakfast's getting cold! No dramatics at the table! And, Dad, you should really take down some of the mistletoe – you don't want to make Orihime uncomfortable, do you?"

Isshin straightened immediately, declaring, "Of course not! I'll take it down right after breakfast!"

Grunting under his breath, Ichigo turned and half-stomped to his seat. He deliberately ignored his father for the duration of the meal, keeping his eyes on his plate except for when he was assuring Yuzu that it was perfectly prepared.

_If I could literally spend the holidays with her wrapped in my arms, that's exactly what I'd do,_ Ichigo reflected as he ate. He would never, of course, say something like that around his family. And he would certainly be satisfied spending the holidays with Orihime at his side instead.

At least, just as soon as his home was safe enough for her.

* * *

><p><strong>Isshin had,<strong> after breakfast, gone through and removed a lot of the mistletoe – though he insisted on leaving one hanging over every doorway of the house (with the exception of his and the twins' rooms). So, by the time Orihime arrived, the house was as presentable as it was going to get.

Ichigo pulled the door open before she'd even knocked, having sensed her approach, and offered her a warm smile. His smile faltered, however, when he saw the giant rolling suitcase that she was dragging along behind her.

"Oh, good morning, Ichigo!" Orihime greeted, a bright smile curving her lips and lighting her eyes.

Her overnight duffel was strapped over her back, pinning her warm winter coat awkwardly over her favorite sweater. Her hairpins were attached to the collar of her sweater, the familiar blue just faintly visible behind the jacket.

"Oi, what the hell's in that thing?" Ichigo said by way of greeting, moving quickly to take the larger bag. "I told you to tell me if you had too much to bring."

Orihime laughed self-consciously as Ichigo took the handle from her grasp. "But it wasn't too much, I promise! See, it rolls, so I didn't actually have to carry it!"

Ichigo scowled at her pointedly. "I see that. But it would've been easier on you if you'd called me."

Orihime pouted and her eyes fell to the admittedly-stuffed suitcase. "Are you mad at me?"

Deflating at her quiet question, Ichigo lifted his free hand to tilt her chin up. When their eyes met again he smiled softly at her and said, "Of course not, Hime. I just worry about you."

She smiled again and leaned up to plant a kiss over his lips. Pulling back after only a moment, she whispered, "Sorry for worrying you, then."

"Tch," Ichigo grunted. He claimed her hip with his hand and tugged her up to him for a proper kiss, filling her mouth with his tongue even as he warmed her lips with his.

Orihime melted into his kiss, her hands curling over his shirt as her tongue danced with his.

Ichigo pulled back sooner than he wanted to, conscious of the fact that his family was probably counting the seconds as they waited. But he paused, hand still on her hip, and held her gaze long enough to add, "Good morning, Hime."

She beamed at him, her cheeks a new shade of pink that had nothing to do with the crisp morning air, and reluctantly pulled back.

As Ichigo turned to lead the way into his house, the rolling suitcase trailing along behind him, he asked again, "So what _**is**_ in this thing, anyway?"

Orihime was giggling behind him when she replied, "All of your Christmas presents, silly!"

Ichigo balked, wondering what in the world she could have purchased that would take up all that space, and he couldn't help but groan, "Orihime!"

* * *

><p><strong>Orihime was <strong>beyond thrilled to be spending the Christmas holiday with Ichigo and his family. She had spent the day with them the year before, it was true, but she hadn't come over until after breakfast and she had left before Yuzu and Karin's bedtime, not wanting to be any sort of an imposition.

This year, however, Ichigo had insisted that she come over the day before, and stay through the actual holiday. Which meant that she would be spending _**two nights**_ in his home. She had been looking forward to Christmas (even more than usual) ever since that conversation.

She had been to the house since they had put up their decorations for the year, but she still paused a moment to take it all in when she and Ichigo stepped into the living room. As always, the family had done an excellent job of it. The room wasn't too cluttered, as some people did, but it wasn't lacking for anything, either.

And, like the year before, their tree was amazing. She looked over at it, appreciating its beauty, but she couldn't help but think that it was still not quite as amazing as her own. Though she knew she was biased on the subject, as once again Ichigo had both paid for and helped to decorate hers. And she was quite fond of their burgeoning tradition (though she would certainly be up for paying for her own tree some year…if he would ever let her).

Ichigo made to continue toward the stairs, wanting to get Orihime settled, but Isshin leapt into his path and exclaimed, "Ah ha! Not so fast!"

Orihime laughed sweetly and smiled at Ichigo's father. "Good morning, Isshin!"

It had taken her months to stop calling him 'Mr. Kurosaki', but she had yet to accept his continuous offer of calling him 'Dad'. To her that seemed a little strange, since she was only actually dating his son. She didn't want to make Ichigo uncomfortable by seeming too comfortable with his family.

"Good morning, sweet Orihime!" Isshin cried, diving around Ichigo and wrapping the young woman in an exuberant hug. "I'm so glad you could come!" He finished the declaration by planting a kiss on her cheek. Then he pulled away, winked at his glaring son, and pointed up as he said, "Always mind the mistletoe, my boy!"

As Isshin spoke, Orihime couldn't help but look up, and her eyes easily landed on the conveniently-placed plant. She smiled fondly as she gazed at it. Mistletoe was one of her favorite decorations now – right up there with Christmas trees.

Ichigo grunted, shoved the handle of the suitcase filled with presents into his father's hands, and said, "Go put these under the tree, dammit."

Already giggling again as Ichigo turned toward her, Orihime said, "You could just kiss my other cheek if you wanted." Her eyes were full of laughter, as she knew exactly what his response would be.

"Like hell," Ichigo murmured, stepping into her space and lifting both hands to frame her face gently. His fingertips slipped into her loose hair and he bowed his head, easily finding her lips for a lingering, tender kiss.

With Orihime's lips moving against his, and her hands curled into the fabric of his shirt at his sides, Ichigo barely even noticed when the tell-tale flash of light and clicking sound attempted to ruin the moment. Several more seconds passed before he broke the kiss, both their cheeks flushed self-consciously, and he finally stepped back.

Yuzu was looking at the disposable camera thoughtfully when Ichigo finally turned his attention toward the culprit behind the picture-taking. "Do you think we can use a Christmas picture for our New Year's card?" she asked curiously.

"That's a great idea!" Isshin called from the tree, where he was carefully placing the new additions.

Ichigo groaned, knowing that the more he reacted the more likely it was that they would do just that, and wrapped one hand around Orihime's as he said, "C'mon, let's get you settled."

As she followed after her boyfriend, who was deliberately ignoring his family, Orihime smiled at Yuzu and Karin and called, "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" the twins called back simultaneously, each offering their version of a bright smile to the older woman.

Ichigo led his girlfriend up the stairs, their fingers laced together and his thumb absently running along the back of her hand. In no time they were in the hall, and then he had pushed the door to his room open and was guiding her inside. Fortunately, he had had the foresight to lock Kon in his sisters' closet earlier that morning.

Orihime followed Ichigo into the room, her heart fluttering as it always did when the door closed behind her. No matter how many times she came over – or for whatever reason – so long as she was alone in the room with him, her heart would start beating faster. Of course, any more, it was with anticipation rather than nerves.

The familiar – though unexpected – sound of Ichigo's cursing drew her out of her thoughts, and Orihime tilted her head faintly.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Ichigo growled under his breath, subconsciously tightening his hand around Orihime's. His eyes were glued to his ceiling, and he couldn't quite work up the pure anger necessary to carry out his threat. His frustration was diluted with a mixture of other, very different, things.

Orihime followed his gaze even as she stepped up to his side, and her eyes widened. Ichigo's ceiling was dotted, in a very distinct pattern, with sprigs of mistletoe.

Finally finding his voice, Ichigo released Orihime's hand, spun around, and stomped to the door of his bedroom. He threw it open, leaned out, and bellowed, "_**What the hell is the matter with you?**_"

"Merry Christmas!" Isshin sang with a laugh.

Ichigo cursed again, stepped back properly into his room, and slammed the door shut slightly harder than necessary. A small piece of mistletoe was jarred loose with the resulting shudder, and fell from the ceiling to land squarely on top of Ichigo's head.

Orihime couldn't quite restrain her laughter as she set her duffel on the floor beside his desk and stepped up to him. "You know," she teased, "it sort of goes with your hair."

Ichigo attempted to glower at her, but the knowledge of the plant on his head was too much, and he ended up slumping in defeat with a sigh. "Sorry," he muttered. "My old man's gone a little crazy this year."

Reaching up, Orihime curved her arms around his neck and smiled. "He's just enjoying the holiday. A little extra mistletoe never hurt anyone."

"Why are you leaving this thing on my head?" Ichigo asked as his own arms curved loosely around her waist.

Smiling flirtatiously, Orihime whispered, "Because I haven't kissed you yet, of course."

Ichigo chuckled and leaned down, meeting her half-way and covering her lips with his. He wanted nothing more than to lift her from her feet and carry her through the room, to his bed, but he was well aware of his family downstairs. His family who, realistically, were probably even then in the middle of arguing about whether or not to try sneaking up and snapping another picture.

So he pulled away after a minute, though only enough to catch his breath and meet her eyes as he murmured, "I love you, Hime."

She smiled his favorite smile and breathed, "I love you, too, Ichigo." Her smile turned to poorly-disguised laughter and she lifted one hand to pluck the plant from his hair as she added, "You and your mistletoe."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, pressed his lips to her forehead, and then released her properly as he said, "We should head back downstairs before they come loaded for an entire photo album."

She laughed, twirled the sprig around in her hand for a second, and then lifted it to her own hair. Within moments she had somehow tangled it prettily in her auburn tresses, and she clasped her hands behind her back as she asked, "What do you think?"

Lifting an eyebrow at her, Ichigo took the opportunity to give her a good once-over. Somehow, the holiday plant didn't look out of place at all.

With a lopsided, flirtatious grin, he said, "I think you're asking for trouble."

Orihime smiled, stepped toward him, and linked her arm around his elbow even as she reached for the door, saying, "Then it's a good thing I have you!"

Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle as they made their way back to the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>The day<strong> continued with conversation and laughter, everyone playing a couple of games to help pass the time and keep the good cheer. Yuzu prepared a festive, elaborate dinner for them all, allowing Orihime to help only with the dessert. Dinner was peaceful, Isshin opting to forgo his usual tormenting of his son in favor of enjoying a happy meal.

After dinner Isshin insisted on doing all the dishes while Yuzu set up the movie they always watched on Christmas Eve, and the others settled in to watch.

Karin claimed one end of the sofa, knowing her sister and father would claim the rest of it. Ichigo and Orihime settled on the loveseat, with Ichigo's arm draped around her and Orihime's head resting on his shoulder, tilted so that she could still see the television. Isshin dimmed the lights as he re-entered the room, and he took his seat between his daughters so that he could wrap his arms around them both.

It was late when the movie was over, and Isshin got up to turn the lights on and eject the disk, declaring, "Alright, all good children off to bed! And don't forget to wear your Christmas pajamas tomorrow, or no presents!"

Karin rolled her eyes, saying, "Like we could forget."

The twins quickly bade their elders good night, then, and disappeared up the stairs to prepare for bed.

As Isshin moved around, turning off the DVD player and the television, Orihime blinked up at Ichigo and asked, "Christmas pajamas?"

Before Ichigo could answer, Isshin calmly said, "When the kids were little, Masaki and I bought them all matching Christmas pajamas for a fun gift. They ended up wearing them for the entire rest of the day, and so we bought ourselves some, too, and decided to make a family tradition of it. We wear our comfy Christmas pajamas every Christmas – it's a part of our celebration."

Orihime, who had turned to watch him as he'd spoken, pulled her lip between her teeth and said, "I don't remember you wearing them last year…did I interrupt the tradition?"

"Of course not," Ichigo assured her, sitting up properly and covering her hand with his. He grinned at her when she looked back at him and said, "We put on real clothes when we're expecting company."

"And this year," Isshin began, now standing facing them with a smile on his face, "we're inviting you to join us! Ichigo _**did**_ tell you to bring pajamas you were comfortable wearing in front of us, didn't he?"

Orihime's cheeks flushed automatically, despite the simplicity of the question, and she nodded.

"Oi, of course I did," Ichigo interrupted, rolling his eyes at his father. It was awkward having his father talk about his girlfriend's sleepwear, supposedly-pure intentions or not. Changing the subject, Ichigo pushed to his feet and tugged Orihime alongside him, saying, "We're gonna turn in, then. See you in the morning."

Isshin's eyes flashed as he contemplated teasing them, but he thought better of it and simply called, "Good night, kids!" as they made their way to the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>"That's not<strong> what you're wearing to breakfast, I hope," Ichigo asked as he slipped back into his room. He had changed into his own pajamas in the bathroom, leaving his room for Orihime, and now she was kneeling beside her duffel bag, clad in a bright red nightgown.

There were slim straps for sleeves, and the top curved low, leaving an opening for plenty of teasing cleavage. The fabric was smooth and clingy, molding against her in a flattering, alluring way and leaving little to the imagination. The skirt came to an end barely mid-thigh. She looked amazing (in his incredibly biased opinion), but 'family appropriate' it was not.

Orihime looked up, a laughing smile on her face, and she pushed to her feet as she said, "Of course not, silly." She held up the fabric in her hands, revealing it to be the pajama set he'd expected her to bring, and added, "I'll change into this in the morning."

"Two sets of pajamas just for one weekend, huh?" Ichigo teased as he crossed to his desk – and therefore closer to her.

As she set her spare pajamas on top of her duffel for an easy change, she said, "I just thought I'd be too warm if I tried sleeping in them."

Ichigo, who had paused behind her to tug his shirt off (he would put it back on in the morning), couldn't help but grin at her implication. He tossed the shirt onto the back of his desk chair and moved closer to Orihime, letting his hands land on her sides and then slide down to her hips.

Orihime sucked in a breath when the heat of his touch settled over her, and her eyes fluttered closed when he tugged her up against his chest a moment later. His hands burned through the flimsy fabric of her nightgown as he curved them, slowly, around her abdomen.

"Ichigo," she breathed.

"Yes?" Ichigo murmured, his lips beside her ear and his voice thick with desire. He had known it would be difficult to resist her – especially at night, when they were sharing the same bed – but he hadn't counted on _**how**_ difficult it would be. _It's not like we make a habit of sharing a bed when we have to hold back,_ he defended silently.

For a moment, Orihime completely forgot about his family. All she could focus on was the feeling of his hands over her stomach, his warm breath caressing the side of her neck, and the hard planes of his body at her back. His lips found the skin beneath her ear and her head fell back as a soft moan escaped her.

Her breathy moan was like music to his ears, and Ichigo dipped his head lower as he continued to lick and kiss his way down her throat.

One of her hands lifted, burying itself in his hair, and her other clamped over one of his, holding tightly. She rolled her hips backward, just a little, when his tongue ran along her skin, and they both released muffled groans.

Ichigo's grip tightened around her, his partially-fisted hands unintentionally lifting the hemline of her nightgown. He tasted the skin of her throat again, this time dipping his tongue into the hollow at the base of it, and her body shuddered against his.

Heavy footfalls on the other side of his door broke through their haze, and the couple froze.

Orihime's hand slowly fell from his hair as her eyes went wide with realization, her cheeks immediately flushing with embarrassment. Her blood was still burning through her veins, and her body still yearned for his touch, but she remembered now why they couldn't indulge themselves.

Ichigo's hands were locked in place over her stomach even though he'd lifted his lips from her throat, dragging in deep breaths through his nose in an attempt to calm the ardor in his blood. He wanted her desperately. But he was going to have to wait.

Finally, his grip loosened, and he released her from his embrace, simultaneously taking a step backwards.

"I'm sorry," Orihime mumbled, turning to face him partially as she rolled her hands together before her. "Should I change now instead…?"

She had purchased the red nightgown for the weekend, it was true. She'd thought Ichigo would like it, and the color had seemed festive enough, but she hadn't considered that Ichigo might like it _**too**_ much. _I should have bought it for our anniversary,_ she thought fleetingly. _But I didn't even think of it._

Ichigo swallowed and shook his head, reaching out and covering her fidgeting hands with one of his. When their eyes met again he said, "No, Hime. You look…_**great**_. You'll just have to wear it for me again after Christmas." He added the last part with a faint, reassuring smirk.

Her guilty nerves vanished and Orihime smiled. She held onto his hand as she stepped into him again and said softly, "That reminds me…I was wondering…would your family mind if I borrowed you for the day after Christmas? You could stay over…I mean, I'll need help taking out the tree again, and all that work could take a while."

Ichigo chuckled now and leaned down, lifting his other hand to thread into her hair as he rumbled, "I'm sure that'd be fine." He sealed his lips over hers then, tightening his hold on her hands to keep himself from doing something else with his.

Their lips parted and their tongues danced for a long minute, their bodies yearning for more. But this time neither forgot the family that was at least partially awake on the other side of his door, and so, reluctantly, they pulled apart.

And then Orihime (very belatedly) realized that he'd removed his shirt when she hadn't been looking. Lifting one hand, she let her fingertips brush across his chest as she asked, "What happened to your shirt?"

Ichigo aimed a teasing smirk at her and pulled her hand from his chest, lifting it so that he could kiss her fingertips before he replied, "I didn't want to overheat."

Orihime pouted dramatically at him, exclaiming quietly, "I was serious!"

Eyes dancing with laughter, Ichigo took a step toward his bed and said, "You know I hate having too much between us. Now come on, if we don't at least _**try**_ to get some sleep, I might forget about our would-be audience again."

Her heart warmed with his words, and Orihime smiled softly, though he couldn't see the gesture, as he was facing his bed.

It was true, she knew. Even on the few nights that they spent together when they weren't able to be intimate, they usually slept as near to nude as they were comfortable with under the circumstances. And he was always holding her just as tightly in the morning, when they woke, as before they'd fallen asleep.

They were standing beside the bed in no time, and Ichigo released Orihime's hand in order to pull down the comforter and crawl onto the mattress. He moved automatically all the way to the far side of his narrow bed, beneath his closed window, but he didn't lie down.

Orihime waited until he was stationary before joining him, slipping her legs beneath the turned-down comforter and shimmying her way to his side. His bed was technically wider than her futon (something she need to remember to fix, actually), but they did have to be a bit more careful, as it was also higher from the floor.

Ichigo curved his arm around Orihime's back as they pulled the comforter up and settled in for the night. He shifted to his back, letting Orihime use his chest and shoulder for a pillow as she curled along his side. Her right arm stretched out, curving over his abdomen, and one of her legs slipped between his as she snuggled into him.

With his other hand landing on her arm, Ichigo murmured, "Good night, Hime."

"Night," Orihime mumbled sleepily. It never took her long at all to fall asleep when Ichigo held her.

* * *

><p><strong>Orihime took <strong>a deep breath as her senses slowly woke up the following morning, and she was almost immediately greeted with Ichigo's familiar, comforting scent. She smiled and pried her eyes open, remembering exactly what morning it was.

They had rolled around a little in their sleep, and Orihime was on her back, the top of her head tucked beneath his pillow. Ichigo's arm was wound around her abdomen, his grip loose, relaxed in sleep, and he was mostly on his stomach, with his cheek resting over the top of her head as he slept. She had a prefect view of his strong shoulder and sculpted back, as the comforter had fallen to his hips.

For a long moment, Orihime remained perfectly still. She was always so comfortable when they woke up together, and she didn't want that to end. She didn't want to wake him up.

But then she realized that it was strangely bright outside, and for a moment she panicked. Had they slept late?

Her eyes widened, but she managed to control her reaction and so she set about carefully untangling herself from Ichigo's embrace. Once she was clear of his arm she paused, to see if he'd stir, but he only shifted, the faintest of displeased frowns tilting his lips. It was downright cute, though she knew he'd never accept a description like that.

Satisfied that he wasn't going to wake up in the next minute, Orihime shifted and very carefully leaned toward the window. She had already glanced at the clock, relieved to discover that it was barely past seven, but it really was too bright for that hour.

The answer presented itself as soon as she'd just slightly parted the curtains. The outside world was covered with a thin, bright blanket of white. And more continued to fall from the sky.

Excitement surged within her and Orihime's eyes widened as a smile split her lips. _It's snowing!_

Sleep-tinged chuckling drew her attention to the male figure that she was still leaning over, and she realized that sometime during her distraction he had rolled over, onto his back, and was watching her with a small, amused smile.

"I have to admit," Ichigo rumbled, voice thick with sleep and something else, "that's one hell of a view to wake up to."

Orihime flushed, dropping the curtain as she realized that she was leaning over his waist, her breasts very nearly brushing something that she knew she shouldn't touch so early in the morning – at least, not if either of them wanted to be downstairs in time for breakfast.

"Come here," Ichigo grunted, reaching for her and dragging her up to his lips. He kissed her roughly, with a hunger spurred by a night of dreams he still couldn't act on, as he tangled his hands in her hair.

She returned his kiss willingly, her excitement briefly forgotten as an entirely different feeling began building in her stomach. She was still leaning over him, her breasts now pressed against his bare chest, and it was taking a lot of willpower not to let their kiss lead somewhere.

They pulled apart, both breathing heavily, and Orihime took the opportunity to smile brightly at him. "It's snowing!" she exclaimed quietly.

Ichigo propped himself up on one elbow, reaching out with his other hand to move the corner of his curtain, and he saw for himself the truth of her words. He let the fabric fall into place as he turned a smile to her and said, "Well, Merry Christmas, Hime."

Orihime's eyes shone even as her smile softened and she leaned forward to plant a simple kiss to his lips. When she pulled back again, she whispered, "Merry Christmas, Ichigo."

* * *

><p><strong>Isshin greeted<strong> them with an exaggerated "_**Meeerrrrryyy Christmas!**_" when they stepped into the living room roughly twenty minutes later, dressed for the occasion in their respective 'family appropriate' pajamas. He pulled Orihime into a giant bear hug, lifting her entirely off of the floor and laughing when she squeaked in surprise.

Ichigo scowled at his exuberant father. "Oi, let her down, Old Man."

Isshin laughed again and set Orihime on her feet. He planted his hands on his hips, emphasizing his Santa-styled red and white pajamas, as he said, "I hope you two slept well!"

Orihime laughed, recovering from her shock at having been hauled right off of her feet, and smiled sweetly as she said, "Oh, we did!"

Before another word could be said, Yuzu came running into the room, excitement shining in her eyes as she exclaimed, "Good morning! Orihime, did you see? It's snowing outside! We get a white Christmas this year!"

Meeting the younger girl's excitement with her own, Orihime nodded rapidly and declared, "I did! Everything looks so beautiful outside!"

"Merry Christmas," Karin greeted as she came to a stop beside her sister. She was smiling, but her excitement was much more contained than her twin's.

Greetings were quickly, and willingly, exchanged between the group, and then a brief silence fell.

Stepping around Orihime, Ichigo paused to grab her hand as he moved toward his sisters, using his other hand to gesture toward the kitchen as he said, "Why don't we all sit down and eat our breakfast, and then maybe we can go out and beat each other up with the snow?"

Karin smirked over her shoulder at her brother and said, "Be careful what you ask for, Ichigo."

"Ah, yes, breakfast!" Isshin declared loudly, dancing around his children and leading the way into the kitchen. "Breakfast is just about ready, so let's sit and eat! And then we can all gang up on Ichigo, since it was his idea!"

Ichigo half-choked and glared up at his father. "Hey, wait a minute! That's not how that works!"

Orihime giggled beside him, squeezing his hand as she said, "Don't worry, Ichigo. I won't gang up on you. It'll be us against the world!"

As she claimed her seat, Yuzu suggested, "Oh! What if we did girls vs. boys instead?"

"Yeah," Karin joked as she took her own seat, "that way Orihime can be on the winning side."

"Ha ha, very funny," Ichigo replied sarcastically as he pulled Orihime's chair out for her.

The family settled, mostly laughing, into their seats as Isshin began moving around the table, serving his Special Christmas Breakfast. They continued talking until he had taken his own seat, and then they all eagerly dug into their meal, both hungry and excited to start the day.

Once breakfast was done, Isshin piled the dishes into the sink, declared that he would clean them later, and then darted out of the room.

The rest of the family stood, moving from the table, and Yuzu began to ask if they could really go out and play around in the snow for a little while. But before she could properly finish her question, Isshin returned, looking suspicious in the entry way with his arms behind his back.

Isshin cleared his throat pointedly, earning all of their attention, and they fell silent. He glanced only briefly at his children before focusing in on Orihime and smiling. "Now, we talked about this before you got here yesterday," he began, "and we have agreed to break our Christmas-gift opening tradition this one time."

He was referring to their tradition of waiting until after dinner to open all of their presents, which Orihime had learned the year before, when she had spent the day with them. But she didn't understand why he – or any of them – would feel it necessary to break with their own tradition just for her sake.

Before she could ask the question, however, he pulled his arms around, revealing a simple box, wrapped and decorated like any other Christmas present. It was only of average size, and not oddly shaped. And, upon closer inspection, it was addressed to her – specifically, it was addressed 'To: Orihime' and 'From: Your Family.'

Still, Orihime hesitated, her eyes lifting back to Isshin's. "Oh, you really don't have to, I can wait-"

Ichigo reached past her, took the box from his father's hands, and held it in front of Orihime. "It's alright, Hime. We _**want**_ you to open it early."

Orihime's eyes automatically flicked to his, and as soon as she registered the gentle smile on his lips, she released a breath and accepted the box. "Okay," she said softly.

Yuzu and Karin walked around her, moving to stand beside their father and watch her open her gift.

Ichigo remained at her side, watching calmly as Orihime's fingers brushed lightly over the tag before she turned her attention to the box itself.

Orihime carefully plucked the large, reflective golden bow from the box and, after a moment's thought, stuck it to the top of her head with a smile. Then she turned the box around until she found an entry point, and she tugged on the paper, ripping off a large chunk with a quick jerk of her wrist. She shifted her angle, then, and shoved off the rest of the paper, temporarily letting it fall to the floor at her feet.

The box beneath the paper was plain, unmarked white. A mystery. So Orihime slid one hand beneath it for support, as it wasn't heavy, and then shoved her fingers beneath the lid and – after a brief struggle – pried it open. The tissue paper within fluttered with the movement, and Orihime easily pushed it apart to reveal her special gift.

Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath when she realized what she was looking at. Her hand moved, gently running over the material, and she felt her eyes start to burn.

"We know it's technically your second Christmas with us," Isshin explained gently, "but we thought, this way, you could really feel like a part of the family."

Orihime lifted her eyes from her present and smiled at the trio standing in front of her. "Thank you," she said. Her eyes drifted back to the box, then, and she wrapped her hand around the items within, gently removing them.

Now she had her very own pair of Christmas-themed pajamas. And now she could join in a treasured tradition of the Kurosaki family.

Ichigo eased the box from her hand as soon as it was empty, turning enough to toss it onto the nearest counter before turning back to Orihime and offering her a smile. "Do you like them?" he asked softly.

She turned her teary eyes up to him, then, and held the fabric against her heart. "I love them," she replied with a smile.

A single tear leaked free, and Ichigo lifted one hand to catch it with his thumb.

Taking a deep breath to push back the rest of her tears, Orihime looked down at her new favorite pajamas and asked, "Should I put them on now, then?"

Jumping back into the conversation, Isshin said, "You might as well wait until after the snowball fight, don't you think? That way you'll have something warm and comfy to dry off in!"

"That's a good idea!" Yuzu echoed. "The rest of us should change so that we can change back!"

"An excellent suggestion!" Isshin agreed. "Snow clothes, everyone!" He paused, returning his attention to Orihime, and grinned as he added, "If you forgot to pack some, I'm sure Ichigo could lend you something. Last one outside gets the first snowball in their face!"

The words had barely passed his lips before the twins turned and made a bee-line for the stairs, their father right on their heels.

Orihime blinked at the space where they had been standing a beat before. "Wow," she breathed thoughtlessly.

Ichigo heaved a sigh and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't mind them," he said quietly. He dropped a kiss to her temple before whispering, "C'mon, we better get changed. Do you need some warmer clothes?"

"Oh, no, I brought clothes that should work just fine!" she assured him as they started toward the stairs.

"And shoes?" Ichigo asked.

Orihime giggled at his insistent concern, leaning slightly into him as she said, "The boots I wore over work great in snow, don't worry."

"Just checking," Ichigo defended with a faint grin.

They were barely all the way up the stairs when Yuzu, closely followed by Karin, darted past them, already dressed in everything but their coats and boots.

Shaking his head, Ichigo ushered her quickly into his room and closed the door. He reflexively clicked his not-even-six-month-old lock into place before his eyes moved forward, seeking Orihime.

She had already set her new pajamas carefully on the bed and was on her way to her duffel. As he watched, she reached in and pulled out a long-sleeved, modest-collared, dark green shirt and a pair of boot-cut jeans with sakura blossoms printed over one thigh. She proceeded to set the items over the top her duffel, stood, and reached for the hem of her pajama shirt.

She had the shirt lifted nearly to her breasts before Ichigo's brain kicked back into gear and he called, "Hang on a sec, Hime."

He stepped up to her, grinning at her confused expression, and reached out, lifting the bow from her hair. Holding it out for her inspection, he added, "Forget about something?"

Orihime's eyes widened in embarrassment and she laughed, saying, "I did!"

Ichigo chuckled, casually tossing the bow to his desktop as he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

In the mood to tease her just a bit more, when he pulled back he whispered, "You know, you should be careful about stripping in front of me. They're probably all outside by now, and I doubt they'd miss us for at least an hour."

Releasing her shirt entirely, Orihime narrowed her eyes and put one finger on his chest, saying, "Christmas is too wholesome a holiday for talk like that! And, besides, you are not persuading me from my opportunity to build the perfect Snow Reaper, so you're just going to have to control yourself."

Too caught off-guard by her argument to continue his teasing, Ichigo took a reflexive step backwards and asked incredulously, "'Snow Reaper'?"

She smiled lightly, then, and began undressing even as she explained, "A Soul Reaper sculpture made of snow! I thought it would be more interesting than a regular old snowman!"

Ichigo could only shake his head, a grin tugging at his lips, as he made his way to his closet in order to retrieve his own winter clothing. He couldn't wait to see this.

They changed easily, and only once Orihime had accepted the scarf Ichigo insisted she add to her ensemble did they step from the room. The house was quiet as they made their way downstairs, but once they reached the living room they could hear the echoes of muffled laughter coming from the backyard.

The couple paused by the closet, donning their coats and boots, and then made their way to the rest of the family.

They had barely stepped into the backyard when a flurry of white crashed onto Ichigo's chest, exploding outward and upward.

Orihime did her best to muffle her laughter even as she moved away from him.

Ichigo looked down at his snow-speckled jacket and asked slowly, "So, that's how it's gonna be, huh?"

He lifted his eyes to his family, finding Isshin laughing outright and Karin smirking dangerously, a new snowball already in her gloved hand. His own smirk curved his lips, and he added, "Suit yourselves."

Karin let the snowball fly without a word, accepting her brother's challenge.

Ichigo moved out of the way, but before he could more than think of forging his own weapon, a snowball arched through the air and collided with Karin's hip. Wide-eyed, he turned to gape at Orihime, who was standing with a triumphant smile on her lips.

Orihime turned her smile to Ichigo and winked at him. "Don't worry, Ichigo, I've got your back! Tatsuki and I do this all the time, I know what I'm doing!"

Smirk returning, Ichigo knelt to scoop up his own snow as he said, "Good to know."

Having recovered from her unexpected assault, Karin looked to Orihime and said, "Tatsuki taught you, huh? Well, then don't expect any mercy from me."

"Of course not," Orihime replied, already crouching to prepare her next projectile. "Snowball fights are serious business."

Yuzu handed another snowball to Karin, having already handed two to Isshin, and then moved behind her father and sister for safety as she prepared more.

"See how they cheat?" Ichigo asked, keeping his eyes on their enemies as he rolled the snow into his hand.

"You call this cheating?" Isshin taunted with a grin. "I call it strategy!" He let the first snowball fly, aimed for his son's bright orange head.

"Tch," Ichigo scoffed, rolling forward so that the projectile missed and coming up with his own, letting it fly toward his father as he added, "Well your 'strategy' is predictable!"

Snowballs flew through the backyard for nearly an hour, with little explosions of white powder decorating everyone, as well as the side of the building behind them.

It turned out that Isshin and Karin were at a disadvantage, having to stay close together to shield their snowball maker from the projectiles, while Ichigo and Orihime were free to dodge.

In the end, Isshin collapsed into the snow, declaring that his throwing arm had given out on him, and so the snowball fight came to an end.

Yuzu turned, then, and said, "Let's all make a snowman! If we work together, he can be huge!"

Orihime quickly agreed, and Karin and Ichigo silently joined them. Ichigo found himself relegated to snow gatherer, being asked to roll the snow around so that the base was large enough.

Isshin disappeared inside while they were working on the torso, opting to use the time to clean up from breakfast and prepare some hot water for tea, coffee, and coco.

By the time the group was done with the snowman it had gotten colder outside, and the snow had started falling again. Despite the gloves over their hands, their fingers were freezing, and the legs of their pants were soaked.

"I'll go get the camera!" Yuzu declared when they had stepped back to examine the snowman. "We should all take a picture with him!" As she burst into the house, calling for their father, the others turned their attention back to their hard work.

The snowman was nearly as tall as Orihime – not including the tent-shaped branches they had used for a hat. He was wearing Yuzu's pink scarf, had pebbles from the covered portion of the front walkway as buttons and eyes, a short, fairly sturdy twig for a nose, and a deliberately-broken, thinner, branch for a mouth. More of the branches they had used for his hat were protruding from his sides, acting as awkward arms.

"He's perfect," Orihime decided happily.

"Yeah, he came out alright," Karin agreed with a subconscious nod.

Grinning, Ichigo tilted his head toward Orihime and whispered, "What happened to your Snow Reaper?"

Her voice equally hushed, she replied, "Tomorrow, maybe."

Yuzu returned a moment later with Isshin and his camera in tow. "Picture time!" she called eagerly.

The twins gathered together slightly in front of their snowman, off to one side, and threw their arms around each other's shoulders, grinning broadly for the camera.

Ichigo and Orihime moved to the other side of the snowman, standing slightly behind him, and they wrapped their arms around each other's waists. Orihime was grinning just as broadly as the twins, and Ichigo offered the camera a small, genuine smile of his own.

* * *

><p><strong>Everyone moved<strong> inside afterwards, changing back into their holiday pajamas, before gathering together again in the living room for another game. The game lasted through dinner, partially because Isshin had to leave several times in order to prepare the meal, and it wasn't until the game was done that they settled in to open presents.

Isshin insisted on passing everything out, and so the twins claimed spots on the loveseat, nearest to the tree. Ichigo and Orihime settled together on the couch, with Orihime curled up against him reflexively.

Everything was handed out one at a time, and Orihime was astounded to realize that each member of the family had gotten her two additional gifts. Except for Ichigo, who had gotten her four. And it made her feel better, as she had splurged on all of them as well.

It was later than anyone had realized by the time they were done cleaning up the mess of paper, ribbons, and bows, and so Isshin ushered everyone to the stairs, assuring them that he could handle the rest.

"Orihime," Yuzu began tiredly when they were all standing in the hall between the bedrooms a minute later.

Orihime turned her attention to the younger girl, but before she could say a word Yuzu had moved and embraced her, wrapping her arms tightly around Orihime's torso.

Voice muffled by Orihime's pajamas, Yuzu said, "Thank you for staying with us this Christmas. I hope you'll stay again next year, too."

Swallowing back her stunned silence, Orihime dropped one hand on Yuzu's hair and softly replied, "Of course I will, Yuzu. And I should be thanking all of you for inviting me. It really means a lot to me that you'd accept me like this."

Yuzu pulled back, smiling a faintly-teary smile and said, "Well, I'm still glad you're here."

Moving closer to her sister, and therefore to Orihime, Karin quietly added, "Yuzu's right, anyway. It's good to have you around." As she spoke, her eyes cut to her brother, who was watching silently from a couple of feet away. She held his gaze for a moment before looking back to Orihime and adding, "So…thanks."

Orihime smiled even as Yuzu released her entirely, and she said, "You're welcome, then."

With matching smiles, the twins bid them both good night and disappeared into their bedroom.

Ichigo moved up to Orihime's side and quietly said, "C'mon." He guided her silently to his own room, pulling the door shut behind them.

"…was that weird?" Orihime asked hesitantly, coming to a stop in the middle of the room.

"No," Ichigo assured her, moving up to her again and placing his hands on her hips. He tugged her up against his chest, but instead of kissing her he said, "I need you to understand something, Orihime. You're going to get used to today, because it's going to happen every year from now on."

He leaned down slightly, their noses barely brushing, and held her gaze as he added softly, "You don't ever have to be alone on Christmas – or any holiday – ever again. And that includes New Year's, got it?"

Orihime smiled slowly, her eyes tearing up all over again. She thought she'd had a pretty good New Year's that year, having spent over three hours with Ichigo and his family. It was a gigantic improvement from her usual celebration.

But if she had learned anything in the past twenty-four hours, it was that her days of spending major holidays alone and 'not depressed' were over.

She had Ichigo now, and he wasn't likely to back down on the subject.

_No,_ she thought, an image of the tag on her first Christmas gift of the day floating through her mind again. _That's not entirely right._

A single tear escaped as her smile grew, realization dawning like a long-awaited sunrise over her heart. She had a _**family**_ again.

"Got it," she replied quietly, her hands landing on his chest and curling slightly in the fabric of his shirt.

Ichigo's expression softened, his lips curving into a faint smile, and he bowed his head, sealing his lips over hers in a tender kiss.

He wanted to tell her he loved her, but something told him that, this time, he should just the let moment say it for him.

And, as Orihime returned his kiss, he felt her response flow into him, warming him to his soul and assuring him that she understood.

_**The End**_

_**A/N:**_ You know, when I started this, I thought I had it all written out already in my head…and yet, in my head, it was _**so**_ much shorter! LOL But, anyway, there it is! I really hope you all enjoyed it!

Oh, and, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, everyone! ^_^


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